The founding principal of Viresh Immigration Law is a proud graduate of Royal Primary School and Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Viresh migrated to Canada in 1973 and two months later moved to Rochester, New York, where on a full scholarship, Viresh completed a degree in economics from the University of Rochester. After completing this first of his many degrees and professional designations, Viresh returned to Toronto where he joined a leading Canadian Chartered Accounting firm. Viresh qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1983 and immediately started his own firm.
In 1988, Viresh sold his Chartered Accounting business in order to study law at the prestigious McGill University Faculty of Law in Montreal, Quebec. Some of the distinguished professors Viresh studied under include the late Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Elliot Trudeau, John Humpries who handwrote the initial version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, retired Supreme Court of Justice Rosalie Silver Abella, current Supreme Court of Canada justice Muhammad Jamal, former Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cottler and current Attorney General of Canada David Lametti. In his second year at McGill Law School Viresh was elected as an Editor of the prestigious McGill Law Journal. After obtaining his Bachelor of Laws from McGill, Viresh moved back to Toronto and articled for one year with the Toronto office of the Attorney General of Canada and the Department of Justice, Canada. When Viresh was called to the Bar in 1994, Viresh was invited to continue as Counsel at the Attorney General of Canada and the Department of Justice, Canada.
As Counsel at the Attorney General of Canada and the Department of Justice, Canada, Viresh defended decisions made by Canadian Visa Officers and other immigration adjudicators to deny visas to overseas residents or to deny Convention Refugee status to people illegally in Canada. Canadian immigration officers are therefore keenly aware of Viresh’s experience and service in defending Visa Officer decisions and upholding the Canadian immigration system from those seeking to take unfair advantage.
In 1998, Viresh set-up his own immigration law practice dedicated to assisting skilled workers, business people and students from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan as well as ex-pats living in the Gulf Cooperating Countries (GCC) to migrate or study in Canada. Viresh has been successful in all court challenges Viresh made on behalf of his migrant clients when they were denied visas to Canada.
Viresh is also a pre-eminent litigation lawyer providing services in Civil Litigation, Family Litigation and Professional Negligence and Professional Regulation litigation making Viresh a “Lawyer’s Lawyer”
All applications are filed under the name of Viresh Fernando so that the Visa Officer is aware that the application has been checked, reviewed, and verified as to completeness and accuracy.
Viresh is keenly aware that Canadian Visa Officers and Canada’s Immigration Department known by the acronym IRCC feel very comfortable dealing with Viresh as Visa Officers appreciate the difference between a client being represented by a highly regarded lawyer such as Viresh as opposed to an unqualified “consultant” or “agent”. Simply put, Viresh’s reputation matters to his clients and to Immigration Canada (IRCC)
Viresh is supported by a capable team in Toronto
